The present invention relates to a limb stiffening device, and more particularly to a golfer aid which is wrapped around the golfer's elbow for preventing or limiting the amount of elbow bending for producing a longer range and more accurate tee and fairway golf shot.
It is very common for a golfer to develop an improper swing which causes his driven golf ball to hook or slice rather than take flight in a straight line, or which prevents the ball from being hit squarely with appropriate strength to provide a shot reaching an appreciable distance.
Poor distance reach, and hooking or topping the ball, which are common faults of novice and average golfers, are often the results of unconsciously developing a serious defect in drive techniques due to following the natural urge to flex the leading arm at the elbow, either just prior to impact with the ball or at the moment of impact. Such defective drive technique results in slicing or topping the ball and in a weak drive power causing both lack of directional precision and insufficient reach, thus requiring additional strokes to reach the greens. If elbow flexure of the leading arm is avoided, the results achieved are improvement of distance and direction aptitude, with the accompanying improvement of reducing the number of strokes necessary to reach a particular green and enabling the golfer to better control his game by insuring him of constantly repetitive drives and shots.
The present invention provides a removable and adjustable arm stiffener normally worn about the middle portion, i.e., at the elbow portion, of a golfer's arm, which prevents the golfer's leading arm from collapsing at the elbow by providing a stiffening force increasing as a function of the amount of elbow bending, while swinging for hitting a tee shot, a fairway shot, or even during putting. By forcing the golfer to straighten his leading arm and to keep it straight throughout the complete shot, a longer swinging arc is obtained, thus causing the golf club head to travel faster at impact with the ball, while preventing topping or slicing of the ball. Consequently, much longer and straighter golf shots result, and such results are achieved shot after shot such that the golfer is rapidly taught to develop a "groove."
Golfer arm stiffening devices have been designed in the past. For example, one U.S. Letters Patent, discloses a removable cuff or sleeve disposed about the elbow of the leading arm of a golfer and provided about the crook of the elbow with longitudinal pockets in which are removably fitted spring metal strips such as to tailor the amount of stiffening of the elbow joint according to the stiffness or number of spring metal strips disposed in the pockets. The cuff is held in position by means of straps and buckles. Such a device is difficult to place upon the arm with one hand, is not comfortable to wear as interfering with blood circulation and preventing the skin from perspiring, and it is heavy and combersome.
Another U.S. Letters Patent discloses an inflatable ribbed cuff placed about the elbow of a golfer's leading arm. The amount of stiffness of the cuff is a function of the pressure of inflation of the cuff. Such a stiffening device requires that several sizes be made for accomodating arms of different circumferences, and they are uncomfortable to wear, especially in hot weather as they must be made of rubber-like imperforate material. In addition, they require to be passed over the hand and wrist and pulled to about the elbow, being held manually there while the user mouth-inflates the cuff, and the projecting air valve may cause injury or at least discomfort. They cannot be deflated, when over-inflated, with any degree of precision to provide a desired stiffness, without many try-outs and successive partial inflations and deflations until the desired amount of stiffness is obtained.
The present invention, by contrast, provides an arm stiffener which may be worn either about the left or right elbow, either directly on the skin or over clothing. It can be easily placed in position with one hand, and taken off at will, without any fuss. It can be worn at all times, or put on and removed as many times as the user desires. The amount of stiffening of the arm can be easily adjusted. The open mesh, or open pattern, of the stiffening device of the invention allows for variable flexibility at the outside elbow bone, while the overlap of material at the crook of the elbow, by providing a double thickness of material, tends to keep the elbow as straight and as taut as desired. The open lattice design of the arm straightener of the invention allows perspiration to be effected in a normal manner, such that it may be worn at all times if so desired. The open lattice design further permits to obtain an arm stiffener which is light in weight, and therefore does not interfere with the normal swinging motion of a golfer addressing the ball. Furthermore, the open lattice design permits to strategically place soft resilient material cushions at appropriate locations, and more particularly at the location of the protruding elbow bone. The cushions are removable, such that the straightening device of the invention may be used with or without the cushions, and the cushions located at any appropriate position.
The present invention can also be used as a surgical appliance for setting and immobilizing broken bones in the arm or leg or, alternatively, for stiffening and momentarily immobilizing damaged joints, such as the wrist, the elbow or the knee, while healing.